Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khafji Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khafji

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $661 in Khafji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,044 in Khafji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Khafji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 91% more expensive than in Khafji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Khafji 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.23 SAR 12.12

44.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$34.81 SAR 131

-7.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.20 SAR 19.53

66.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 SAR 3.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.96 SAR 11.12

-2.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.77 SAR 2.90

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.19 SAR 0.73

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.80 SAR 6.75

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.33 SAR 4.98

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.20 SAR 8.27

1.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.28 SAR 27.35

172.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.93 SAR 29.79

-56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$12.91 SAR 48.47

-11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.23 SAR 8.37

30.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.63 SAR 6.13

5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.63 SAR 6.13

39.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.61 SAR 6.04

32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.12 SAR 4.22

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.15 SAR 4.33

23.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.27 SAR 4.78

-13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.57 SAR 2.14

5.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.05 SAR 15.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$7.78 SAR 29.23

-44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.72 SAR 10.20

13.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-58.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$13.25 SAR 49.76

-70.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.61 SAR 2.29

134.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$66.2K SAR 248.5K

-58.00%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

25.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$105 ฿3,462

$131 SAR 490

-19.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.39 ฿376

$32.66 SAR 123

-65.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$62.7 SAR 236

-72.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$13.20 SAR 49.58

-41.06%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$576 ฿19.0K

$135 SAR 508

326.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,942 SAR 14.8K

193.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$42.63 SAR 160

49.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$49.91 SAR 187

-41.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$98.1 SAR 368

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$91.2 SAR 343

-1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$678 SAR 2,546

8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Khafji: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $678 in Khafji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Khafji. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $201, with Khafji cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Khafji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khafji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $992 in Khafji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $678 in Khafji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $135 in Khafji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Khafji – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $661 in Khafji versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khafji is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Khafji are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Khafji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.